The National Assembly adopted the "Yellow Envelope Law" on Thursday, amending the Trade Union and Labour Relations Adjustment Act. The opposition Democratic Party (DP) unilaterally adopted the bill with no People Power Party (PPP) members in participation. The bill was dramatically adopted after prolonged delays at a lower committee, and after the PPP’s brief plan to filibuster against it — which was abandoned last-minute due to the DP’s move to impeach the chief of the Korea Communications Commission.

The PPP has dubbed it an “unjust law,” filing a constitutional request for its referral suspension. DP lawmakers pushed back, stressing the law aims to prevent “astronomical damages claims in labor union disputes” and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s “open suppression of unions.” The amendment aims to allow subcontracted workers to participate in collective negotiations with their primary employers, widen the scope of disputes to encompass various facets of working conditions and provide broader protections for workers in different employment arrangements.